184 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS IN AUSTRALIA. 



Of the various British colonies there are none in 

 which we are more specially interested than in the 

 Australian settlements. As the gold produce of Vic- 

 toria declines, it is at least satisfactory to find that the 

 agricultural products increase. A greater degree of 

 attention is now being given to all that relates to the 

 culture of the soil and the increase of live stock. It is 

 interesting to watch the statistical advances made by 

 this important southern colony in the more permanent 

 elements of wealth. Every year sees one or two thou- 

 sand more occupiers of land. In the three years end- 

 ing with 1859, 4,300,000 acres were sold or granted, 

 and with the immense territory of crown lands un- 

 alienated there is yet ample space for extension. The 

 Colonial Office returns only extend to 1858, but we 

 have private returns from the colony for 1859. 



In 1857, 786,790 acres of land were sold, and 370 

 granted; the average price per acre was £2 2s. 7d. 

 In 1858, 3,042,514 acres were sold, at an average of 

 about £2, 10s., and 439 acres were granted. In 1859, 

 127,074 acres were sold in lots under 100 acres, 

 309,205 in lots under 500 acres, and 22,721 in lots 

 over 600 acres. The total sold during the year was 

 459,081 acres, and by grant 122 acres, for a sum of 

 ^814,163, or an average of 35s. 5d. per acre. The 

 total extent of the unalienated land in the colony last 

 year was 52,142,010 acres. The number of the agri- 

 cultural holdings exceeding one acre was 13,175, em- 

 bracing 3,015,607 acres, of which 358,727 were culti- 

 vated, and 2,048,092 enclosed. There were 107,092 

 acres of wheat, 90,167 of oats, 4,101 of barley, 738 of 

 maize, 149 of rye and here, 395 of peas, sorghum, 

 beans, and millet, 27,622 of potatoes, 220 of turnips, 

 112 of cabbages, 98,164 under hay, &c. The total 

 produce of the year was as follows : — Wheat, 2,296,157 

 bushels; oats, 2,-553,637; barley, 98,433; maize 

 7,374; rye, 2,692; peas, &c., 5,589; potatoes, 48,967 

 tons; turnips, 673; mangold wurtzel, 4,645; beet, 

 25; carrots and parsnips, 718; cabbage, 355 ; hay (of 

 cereals), 135,246 tons; rye, &c., 396; onions, 1,029 

 cwt. ; tobacco, 463 cwt. Number of vines, 1,896,939 ; 

 fruit sold, 4,473 cwt. ; wine produced, 13,966 gallons ; 

 brandy manufactured, 150 gallons. The total number 

 of horses in March, 1859, was 69,288 ; horned cattle, 

 683,534 ; pigs, 50,965 ; and sheep, 5,794,127. In the 

 year, however, 126,169 cattle, 415,939 sheep, and 

 4,446 horses were imported. 



There is a steady if not a very rapid increase in the 

 live stock of the colony which is at least satisfactory. 

 One thing, however, surprises us; and that is the de- 

 cline in the annual number of stock slaughtered, not- 

 withstanding the increase of population. For instance, 

 in 1857, there were slaughtered 176,747 cattle, 998,824 

 sheep, and 25,249 pigs. In 1859, the numbers were 

 165,730 cattle, 745,457 sheep, and 26,505 pigs. Pro^ 

 bably this arises from imperfect returns. 



Passing next to the mortgages registered on land and 

 live stock, we find 3,137 recorded, for a total amount 

 of £2,093,609— about £600,000 below the previous 

 year. Of these, 1,701 mortgages, for sums amounting 

 to £"858,896, applied to town lands, and 1,325 deeds? 

 for £1,030,524, to country lands, and 111 mortgages, 

 for £204,188, to mixed town and country lands. 

 87 "liens" on the wool of 1,109,684 sheep, for 

 £994,273, were granted ; and 182 mortgages, afiecting 

 897,386 sheep, 134,593 cattle, and 2,496 horses, for a 

 value of £1,002,297, were recorded. 



The population of the colony on the 31st December, 

 1359, was 530,262 souls, being a net increase during 

 the year of 25,743. In the year, 30,583 persons ar- 

 rived, and 19,418 departed by soa. Of the total in- 

 crease by immigration, 4,657 were males, and 6,508 

 females. Of these, 3,151 (including 2,559 females) 

 were assisted, and 27,432 unassisted ; 2,152 Chinese 

 came in overland from the neighbouring colonies, and 

 197 went out of the colony. On the gold fields there 

 were in all 201,422 souls — namely, 113,194 men, 

 27,014 women, 35,170 children, and 26,038 Chinese 

 men. The gold exports have been gradually declining 

 here as in California. In 1856, £11,943,458 were 

 shipped; in 1859, £9,122,037. Dividing this among 

 the persons on the gold fields, it would scarcely average 

 £45 per head per annum, a sum utterly insufficient to 

 pay current expenses of living. The agricultural pro- 

 duce for consumption and export is, however, stea- 

 dily increasing, although the gold decreases. Thus, 

 the wool export alone forms a total of about 22,000,000 

 lbs., worth £1,750,000. The chief imports of the year 

 were valued as follows : agricultural implements 

 £38,588, apparel £588,654, powder £34,547, bags 

 and sacks £98,375, bottled beer £269,327, draught 

 ditto £395,292, books £73,839, boots and shoes 

 £607,703, bran £60,579, brushes £20,215, building 

 materials £57,609, butter £480,258, candles £215,796, 

 carriages, carts, &c. £61,686, cheese £115,621, coal 

 £191,576, cordage £59,246, cottons £232,041, dra- 

 pery £1,384,935, drugs £98,409, earthenware £47,869, 

 fancy goods £51,574, preserved fish £57,659, salted 

 ditto £54,434, flour £720,660, furniture £95,490, 

 barley £18,759, beans and peas £13,001, maize 

 £85,083, malt £96,164, oats £447,832, rice £324,627, 

 wheat £208,678, haberdashery £115,985, hai-dware 

 £311,438, hats and caps £86,153, hops £34,561, 

 hosiery £82,869, musical instruments £36,027, iron 

 £269,084, leather £10,481, linens £36,803, horned 

 cattle £94,150, horses £83,285, sheep £27,647, a 

 tiger £100, an ourangoutang £15, camels £600, 

 machinery £213,334, matches £26,379, millinery 

 £69,634, nails and screws £67,733, paintings and 

 engravings £9,120, preserves £44,113, hams £88,451, 

 railway materials £95,830, saddlery £42,446, silks 

 £119,330, stationer}' £174,796, &c. Amongst the 



